Faa Shoots Down Boca Airport Noise Plan

Boca Raton City Council member Bill Glass' proposal for curfews and fines for noise violations at the city airport was completely rejected on Wednesday by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA's Dean Stringer told Boca Raton Airport Authority members that if the resolution passes, the airport could lose FAA and Florida Department of Transportation funding and open itself up to lawsuits.

``Without a study, without satisfying federal requirements, we're going to object to it,'' Stringer said. ``Finding [the airport) in noncompliance means no FAA funds, and Florida DOT probably is not going to give any money if you're in noncompliance with a federal agency.''

In response to questions, Stringer also said the city probably does not have the authority to enforce noise rules because the airport is not under the control of the City Council.

Glass' resolution, which he introduced at a City Council meeting on April 13, calls for mandatory night curfews on older, noisy jets and a voluntary curfew on newer, quiet jets _ with fines or loss of landing privileges for violators.

The airport has several voluntary noise-reduction procedures, including a voluntary nighttime flight ban and suggested flight patterns that limit noise over residential areas.

There are no fines for noncompliance.

Glass said he wrote the resolution to encourage the authority to find solutions.

``Don't just put it on the door of the airport, but aggressively seek it,'' he said. ``Put it in the pilot logs so anyone coming down here from Chicago or wherever knows they can't fly in after 10 o'clock at night.''

Boca Aviation has been logging flights for two weeks at the request of Renee Johns, the airport's noise abatement officer.

Johns said she has been tracking resident complaints and cross-checking them against the late-night flight logs, then writing letters to jet operators who do not comply with the voluntary restrictions.

Glass was joined at the meeting by Mayor Carol Hanson, Councilwoman Susan Welcher, several members of the Noise Compatibility Advisory Committee and several members of the Boca Raton Aviation Action Group, a coalition of homeowner groups upset about airport noise.

Tonight, the Boca Raton Aviation Action Group will discuss breaking away from the Boca Raton Federation of Homeowners, an umbrella group that represents 21 groups on a variety of issues.

``I think there's a lot of anger and frustration that the federation is not representing our interests about airport noise,'' said Tom Knibbs, a pilot who lives near the airport.

Many of the airport's neighbors wanted the federation to submit Knibbs' name to the City Council for a seat on the Airport Authority. But the federation has nominated incumbent Jack Davenport and two others instead of Knibbs.

While frustration is high, Shirley Schnuer, president of the powerful Boca Teeca Unit Owners Association, said she is not ready to break away yet.

Ron Betters of the Knob Hill Association said leaving the federation might not be in members' best interests right now.